Electronic devices, for example semiconductor devices, are often carried by a carrier tape in connection with certain processing operations. For example, semiconductor devices may be placed in and shipped in a carrier tape to enable assembly of the semiconductor device in an electronic device to be purchased by a consumer, such as a computer, smartphone, tablet computer and the like.
A portion of a conventional semiconductor device carrying carrier tape 10 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 1A is a top plan view of the portion of the conventional carrier tape 10, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier tape of FIG. 1A. The carrier tape 10 includes spaced-apart pockets 12 that are each configured to hold a semiconductor device 14. According to certain embodiments, the semiconductor device 14 may be an integrated circuit including a microphone, and therefore the device package may have a sound inlet 15. Feeder holes 16 are disposed adjacent to the pockets 12 and along an edge of the carrier tape 10. The feeder holes 16 allow processing equipment to advance the carrier tape 10 through the various processing operations, including the placement of the semiconductor devices 10.
An imaging sensor or camera may be used to visually inspect the carrier tape 10 and detect a hole 18 in the pocket 12 of the carrier tape 10. The hole 18 is used by the equipment to determine a position of the carrier tape 10, and more specifically to determine a position of a particular pocket 12 of the carrier tape 10 so that the semiconductor device 14 can be properly placed in the pocket 12. The hole 18 also serves to provide the equipment information as to whether or not the pocket 12 is carrying a semiconductor device 14, and therefore is unavailable for placement of another semiconductor device. That is, if the imaging sensor attempts to detect the hole 18 and does not detect the hole 18, it is determined that a semiconductor device 14 is in the pocket as shown in two of the pockets 12 of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2 represents a display of an image 20 of the carrier tape 10 of FIG. 1A captured by an imaging device. The display is illustrated as a window of a software program associated with the imaging sensor or camera. The bottom surface of the pocket 12 and the top surface of the carrier tape 10 reflect a particular wavelength of light that is captured by the imaging sensor. The image 22 representing the hole 18 contrasts the image 24 of the bottom surface of the pocket 12. In this example, the background viewed through the hole 18 is represented as a solid black circle or dot 22. Thus, the pockets 12 in the image that show a solid black circle 22 indicate an empty pocket, and image 26 of the pocket 12 that does not show a solid black circle indicates a pocket that is carrying a semiconductor device 14.
The hole in the bottom of the pocket is a weak point of the carrier tape and is subject to cracking and breaking. Also, the punching operation that creates the holes in conventional carrier tapes may leave burrs that may interfere with one or more semiconductor processing operations. Further, the hole allows unwanted particles from the ambient environment to contaminate the pocket and the electronic device.
An improved carrier tape that does not require a hole in the bottom surface of the pocket, yet still is detectable by current semiconductor device processing imaging equipment is desirable in the semiconductor device processing art.